The process of cooking in a conventional gas or electric range is relatively uncomplicated as compared to cooking in a microwave oven. Generally, temperature and time are the only two parameters to be considered. The oven is normally preheated to a given temperature and the food is placed in the oven for a specified time period which may be a function of the food weight. As an example, a turkey may be cooked at 350.degree. F. for a time duration equal to 20 minutes per pound. Generally speaking, heat at the surface of the food gradually travels inward by conduction raising the temperature of the interior and causing physical changes which are part of the cooking process. Typically, the larger the food body and the more it weighs, the more time is required for cooking. A review of most recipe books indicates that the time for cooking when expressed as a function of weight is a linear function of the weight of the food body.
As is well known in the art, microwave ovens cook by a different principle. The microwave field in the cavity, which does not result in the rise of temperature of the air, is absorbed by dielectric materials causing interior heating thereof. Because the cooking principle in microwave ovens is different, the technique of determining cooking time as a linear function of weight is not applicable.